Staff Highlight: Claytee White and Finding Las Vegas

Claytee White

When the average person talks about Las Vegas as decadent, sinful, dangerous and seedy, I am always the person in the room who argues the opposites.  From my vantage point I see a city that is vibrant, exciting and alive with possibilities.  Why the difference in perspective?  I see Las Vegas from inside average homes where I go to document the city's history.  I see Las Vegas as I record stories sitting at a kitchen table sharing a cup of coffee, or in the den with the family dog jumping on my lap, or on a patio listening to memories while watching a sunset.  This is my Las Vegas.  My Las Vegas extends from Sun Rise Mountain to Mt. Charleston, from Aliante to Boulder City, and from Blue Diamond to Lake Las Vegas.

As the director of the Oral History Research Center in the UNLV Libraries Special Collections, I challenge you to find your Las Vegas. Join me in our manifesting our first Day of Listening for Las Vegas on November 29 as part of the National Day of Listening.  Stay tuned to the UNLV Libraries for more details.

Claytee White

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